Sound crazy? There’s some science behind the Tuesday morning theory. Accountemps performed surveys of HR managers, executives, and senior managers at several large companies. Their research showed the following:

1. 39 percent of employees of those surveyed said that Tuesday was the most productive day of the week. Monday and Wednesday also got shout-outs, at 24 percent and 14 percent, respectively. Unsurprisingly, few people voted for Thursday or Friday.

2. Afternoon — specifically 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. — was the least productive time of the day, according to 37 percent of respondents.

3. 34 percent of executives said that the least productive time for their employees was right before a holiday. After holidays, however, workers tended to be more productive — in part, research suggests, because of the improved mental health that results in taking time away from work.

So if you have time off planned between now and New Year’s, remember: You’re doing the best possible thing for the company’s bottom line, as well as for yourself.

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Jen Hubley Luckwaldt

Jen Hubley Luckwaldt writes about work-life balance, stress management, and other topics relating to what makes us happy at work. A full-time freelancer, she deals with stress by blurring the lines between life and work to the point where the two spheres are barely separate. The happiest day of her career was when scientists proved that looking at pictures of cute animals makes us more productive.